The communications and computer industries are rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand for systems with increased performance. Note, nothing described or referenced in this document is admitted as prior art to this application unless explicitly so stated.
There are different architectures used for packet switching device (e.g., a router, or bridge). One known packet switching device uses a route processor to maintain forwarding information for how to route packets to other devices. The packet switching device communicates with other packet switching devices to exchange network topology information, such as using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) sessions with the other packet switching devices. Based on the network topology, the router processor determines how to forward packets from the packet switching devices line cards and ports thereon. One known packet switching device distributes routing information, including the appropriate line card and port from which to forward specific packets based on their destination addresses, to the line cards. A line card can then perform a lookup operation on a packet to determine its routing information, and then correspondingly forward the packet out one of its ports, or forward the packet to another line card over a switching mechanism (e.g., switch fabric, crossbar, etc.), and the new line card sends the packet out the appropriate one of its ports.